A 26-year-old San Francisco man was killed and three others suffered life-threatening injuries in a shooting early Sunday morning just south of the city's Financial District, police said.

Blair Henderson was shot as he and several of his friends went to retrieve their car from a parking lot near Second and Minna streets, according to accounts that Henderson's mother, Regina Mikell, heard from witnesses.

Mikell said she believed that Henderson had planned to go to a nightclub with friends Saturday night. She did not believe that any of his friends had been shot.

"It was just a group of friends going out to celebrate," Mikell said. "Blair was excited because everyone was going to be there."

Police received reports of gunfire near the corner of Second and Minna streets at 2:27 a.m. and, upon arrival, found the four victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Henderson was later pronounced dead.

Mariles said investigators did not have descriptions of suspects and had not made any arrests. Officers from the homicide unit and gang task force were investigating the shooting, he said.

"The area is not known to have gangs, but that doesn't mean that the element would not have been drawn there," Mariles said. "We want to cover all of our bases and the gang task force is a great resource to use."

Mikell said that Henderson did not have ties to gangs.

Henderson was, however, on parole in connection with a 2002 incident in which he and another man were convicted of assaulting a postal carrier and stealing his truck.